Donald Trump may be the president of the United States, but sometimes his words confuse people. At a recent press conference at the White House, he made a comment that caught everyone’s attention. While trying to explain why he paused his harsh tariffs, he asked a question that quickly became the main headline.
“How do you get to be president, and you’re stupid?”
Trump: How do you get to be president and you’re stupid? pic.twitter.com/CcsghNRTpt
— Acyn (@Acyn) April 9, 2025
Yes, he said that.
Of course, Trump was blaming former presidents for the country’s economic problems. But instead of making his point, he sounded like he was talking about himself.
Within minutes, people on social media began reacting. One tweeted, “We’ve been wondering this since 2016 Donald.” Another user said, “The Irony Meter is dead, spontaneously combusting after trying to score this comment.”
We’ve been wondering this since 2016 Donald.
— SJI2783 (@sji2783) April 9, 2025
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The Irony Meter is dead, spontaneously combusting after trying to score this comment.
Time for HH.@thespybrief https://t.co/QQD9EQHkjj— Karen (@kes1doc_karen) April 9, 2025
Below are more tweet reactions to Trump’s unexpected remark.
We’re past irony at this point… I don’t even know what you call this
— Lib Dunk (@libdunkmedia) April 9, 2025
He answered his own question 🤣
— Ana Braga🇧🇷🇲🇽🇨🇦 (@TheAnaBraga) April 9, 2025
That is a good question
— Tendies (@GigaTendies) April 9, 2025
He’s so close to getting it.
— Myles Davies (@mylesdavies) April 9, 2025
Some even joked that Trump finally asked the one question the country has been too polite to say out loud.
The question on all our minds these days.
— Jo (@JoJoFromJerz) April 10, 2025
We’re all currently wondering the same thing.
— Blue Georgia (@BlueATLGeorgia) April 9, 2025
Trump’s comment came as he tried to defend his trade war with China. For years, he has claimed that China is “ripping off” the U.S. by sending cheap goods and stealing American ideas. To fight back, he put a massive 125% tariff on Chinese imports. That means anything brought in from China now comes with a huge extra tax. Trump said this would hurt China, but in reality, it ended up hurting American businesses and farmers more.
Even some of his Republican allies are starting to speak out. Several lawmakers urged Trump to step back after the stock market dropped because of the tariffs. That’s likely why he decided to pause the new China tariff—for now.
But just pausing the plan isn’t enough. What’s missing is a clear strategy. If Trump wants to fix trade problems, he must set tangible goals, listen to experts, and stop creating chaos with off-the-cuff comments.
Featured image via Screengrab